Flavorful Northern France

You will arrive in Paris today and your English speaking guide will pick you up from the airport and begin a three and a half hour orientation tour of Paris finishing by assistance with check in at your hotel. This beautiful city brings out the romance in every soul. Art lovers, style buffs and gourmets are particularly well catered for if they holiday in Paris. On your tour you will see world-famous attractions like the Eiffel Tower Champs Elysées, Arc de Triumphe, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur and more.You will be able to explore on your own for the rest of the afternoon. This evening you will visit Le Cordon Bleu for Chef's Secrets: The Chef's Secrets demonstrates two recipes followed by a tasting including a glass of wine.

Suggested Hotel: Crowne Plaza Republique 4* (3 nights)

This morning after breakfast you will be transported to The Château de Versailles, one of France's most noted attractions. Most of the palace was built between 1664 and 1715 by Louis XIV (known as the Sun King), who turned his father’s hunting lodge into the grandest palace ever built. Your personal English speaking guide will spend four hours with you touring the immense property. You will visit the gardens with their lavish collection of fountains and the palace. Afterwards enjoying a traditional dinner at quaint Au Fou Du Roy. BD

This morning after breakfast you will have the entire day at leisure to explore sites like the Louvre, Notre Dame and its bell tower, go up the Eifel Tower or Arc de Triumphe. B

After breakfast this morning your guide will take you on a trip to Angers. On route you will tour the Cointreau Museum & Visitor Centre, afterwards continuing on with a guided walking tour of Angers. Included will be entrances to both Cathedral St. Maurice and Chateau D’Anger (pictured below) with its Apocalypse Tapestry. After check-in at your hotel your evening will be free at leisure.

Suggested Hotel: D’Anjou 3* Boutique (1 night) B

This morning after breakfast you will travel with your tour guide to the Terre de Sel (Salt Fields) and take a tour titled "Flower sea salt, the pleasure of taste". BD

This 2-hour tour takes you around the different parts of the salt marsh to learn about a profession that has remained traditional and the gastronomic virtues of the “white gold”. Afterwards you will enjoy tasting some of the products. After check in at your hotel you will have the afternoon free to explore this historic walled city. Tonight you will enjoy a traditional 3 course dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast this morning you will travel with your guide to Cancale where you will have a fine oyster tasting at La Ferme Marine.

After your tour and tasting in this lovely port town you will travel to St. Malo 25 minutes away, where you will enjoy a walking tour of this historic town. You will then check into your hotel and have some free time before your local dinner at your hotel. This area is most famous for their seafood.

Suggested Hotel: Hotel Central 3* Boutique (2 nights) BD

After breakfast this morning you will spend and enjoyable day visiting the historic UNESCO site first built in the 6th and 7th centuries and it’s surrounding town. Your day will include entrance to the Abbaye Mont St.Michel. Afterwards you will return to St.Malo for an evening at your leisure. B

This morning after breakfast you will begin your trip to Cambremer, the highlight of your trip. On route you will stop in Honfleur’s very own Domaine D’Apreval for a cider tasting. The Manoir d'Apreval is a family run Cider and Calvados factory situated on the border of Honfleur on the banks of the Seine estuaries, in the Pays d'Auge specificaly in the heart of the Cote de Grace, that of Claude Monet and Erick Satie.

You will learn how to become Calvados Pays d'Auge, the strict regulation dictating that their Cider must be double distilled according to traditional methods. The " Eau de Vie " that results from the distillation process, done in alambic stills goes directly into oak casks for ageing. The tanins in the wood give the spirit its warmcolor which passes from golden to amber as it completes its aromatic bouquet to become Calvados. Faithful to the traditional methods of cider making, the Manoir d'Apreval produces ciders, Poirés, Calvados Pays d'Auge and Pommeau de Normandie. You will tour the the Orchards, the Tank House, the Cellar and of course the Tasting room.

Afterwards you will continue on to Cambremer for check in at Chateaux Les Bruyeres.

Enjoy a warm welcome with Pays D’Auge Cider and Normand Specialties. You can settle in and then go for dinner, consisting of Monkfish Flambeed in Calvados, Pan fried Langoustines with herbs, Scallops in carmalised Orange juice. BD

Breakfast including jams from the chateau and other local specialities.

A day in the kitchen surrounded by local produce from the Pays d’Auge (meat, fish, dairy produce, cider, calvados and perry. The day is divided into 3 sections.

Starting at 09.30. The kitchen garden - selecting fruit and vegetables. Guided tour of Mr Motte’s Goat’s cheese farm. Guided tour of Manoir de la Brière des Fontaines cider farm.
Free time from 12.30 to 14.30

From 14.30. The chef’s cookery course consisting of a starter, main course and desert using products of the Auge such as cider and apples as well as herbs and vegetables from the Chateau gardens. Explanation of how dishes and Norman drinks go together.

In the evening, dinner will be served using the dishes prepared during the afternoon.

Enjoy your surroundings this evening. BD

After another Chateau breakfast you will be transported back to Paris. You will have the afternoon free until your farewell dinner cruise on the Seine. The boat glides gently close to the monuments seen through the glass canopy - two and a half hours of magic with entertainment by a female singer and three musicians.

Refined décor and tableware, the intimacy of small tables by the windows and the liveliness of the dance floor form the ingredients for a wonderful evening. The menu combines tradition and creativeness and the dishes are prepared on board under the supervision of our Chef and his teams. BD

This morning after breakfast your Guide and Coach will pick you up and transfer you to the Charles De Gaulle airport for your flight home. B

Have a great flight home.